Chapter 19: Mark 1

Middle East (Afghanistan).

Inside a cave.

Tony carefully injected energy into the newly developed reactor. Under Yinsen's watchful eye, the circular reactor slowly emitted a soft blue glow.

This incredible piece of technology left Yinsen completely astonished.

He suddenly realized that calling this man a "genius" might even be an understatement. To create something like this under such dire circumstances… it was nothing short of miraculous.

"This doesn't look anything like the Jericho missile," Yinsen remarked.

Tony explained, "This is a miniature arc reactor."

"I've got a bigger one back home powering my factory."

"With this, I can stop the shrapnel from reaching my heart."

Yinsen immediately understood. The lithium battery they'd been using before only delayed the inevitable.

But for the reactor to actually prevent the shrapnel from advancing, it would need to generate many times the power of the battery.

"How much power does it generate?" Yinsen asked curiously.

Tony proudly answered, "If my calculations are correct, around 3 billion joules per second."

Yinsen was stunned.

Was this something a human could actually create?

"That's enough to keep you alive fifty times over…" Yinsen muttered.

Tony nodded. But, of course, this miniature reactor wasn't just about stopping the shrapnel.

"Exactly. Or it's enough to power a big guy for about fifteen minutes…"

"A big guy?" Yinsen looked confused.

Tony then pulled out several design sketches. Yinsen recognized them as the same drawings Tony had been working on while creating the reactor.

They looked like weapons, but also like some kind of special armor.

"We're going to use this to get out of here."

"What is it?" Yinsen still didn't fully understand.

"Lay them out together."

Tony arranged the sketches in order and held them up to the light. When viewed together, the separate designs merged into one coherent form.

Yinsen was instantly shocked.

This was…

A humanoid suit of armor!

"Amazing…"

Yinsen could only marvel at the brilliance of it all.

Tony patted him on the shoulder. "If it weren't for your reminder, I wouldn't have thought back to what I saw that night."

"Once we build this thing, we can fight our way out of here!"

Yinsen nodded. "Does this big guy have a name?"

Tony thought for a moment before answering, "Mark 1…"

"Mark 1…" Yinsen repeated the name in awe, marveling at Tony's mind.

As for the risk of being discovered, Yinsen wasn't too worried. The Ten Rings soldiers were mostly illiterate.

As long as they kept their work covered up, the men would just assume they were building the Jericho missile.

"Okay, let's get to work. The sooner, the better."

"First things first, help me install this. I'm tired of carrying it around."

Tony raised the small arc reactor and glanced at the old lithium battery.

...

In the Police Car

Gwen sat in the passenger seat of the police car, continuously examining her hand. The strange incident that occurred that morning at her room's doorway still seemed unbelievable to her.

However, she hadn't mentioned anything about it. Deep down, she had a feeling that it was connected to the bite she had received the previous night.

Something was changing within her body, and it left her feeling uneasy.

George, driving beside her, couldn't help but notice and eventually commented, "If you're thinking about putting on nail polish, I won't object—just keep it subtle."

Gwen ignored George's teasing and instead asked, "Dad, did you notice any wound on my hand yesterday?"

"A wound? Did you get hurt?" George frowned and glanced at Gwen's hands. They looked perfectly fine. If he wasn't driving, he'd probably have grabbed her hand for a closer look.

Gwen hesitated and said uncertainly, "I remember being bitten by a bug..."

"A bug?" George paused, recalling how Gwen had been startled by a bug the previous night.

He tried to reassure her, "I think you might've had a nightmare, sweetheart. Anyway, we've arrived at your collage. You better get going, I've got to head over to Stark Industries for security duty."

As Gwen got out of the car, George added, "If you're really scared, I can pick up a can of bug spray on my way home tonight."

"No need, Dad," Gwen replied, "I'm not afraid of bugs."

With that, she turned and walked away.

At State University

Walking through campus, Gwen's mind was still preoccupied with the strange events of the previous night. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Peter approaching her until he was already beside her.

Behind them, a group of school bullies noticed Peter, who was typically an easy target for their harassment, now walking with Gwen—the school's beautiful, popular girl.

Instantly, they decided to mess with him.

"Watch this," one of the bullies smirked, winding up to throw a basketball with full force. He aimed straight at Peter's back, certain that when the ball hit, Peter would go down hard and embarrass himself in front of Gwen.

The moment the ball left his hands, they were already anticipating Peter's humiliation. But in the next instant, something completely unexpected happened.

The basketball, which should've hit Peter square in the back, suddenly stopped mid-air with a dull thud.

Peter, startled by the noise behind him, turned around to see Gwen standing there with her hand stretched out, having caught the ball before it could hit him.

"What are you guys doing?" Gwen asked, holding the basketball as she turned to face the three bullies.

The ringleader, the one who had thrown the ball, tried to play it off casually for the sake of his pride, saying, "Nothing. The ball just slipped."

"Really?" Gwen replied. "Then come and get it."

She held the ball out toward him.

Peter, uneasy, urged, "Just let it go, Gwen."

Gwen smiled, "I am. I'm just letting him take the ball himself."

The bully assumed Gwen was afraid of him, so he smugly approached, ready to take the ball from her. But just as he reached for it, Gwen suddenly made a feint as if she was about to throw it back at him.

Startled, the bully flinched and covered his head defensively, only to realize that nothing had happened. The students nearby began to laugh and point at him, adding to his embarrassment.

"Give it back!" the bully shouted angrily.

"Okay," Gwen said cheerfully, "Take it yourself. Don't worry, I won't scare you again."

The bully, still suspicious but eager to regain some dignity, quickly grabbed the ball with both hands, trying to pull it out of Gwen's grip. But no matter how hard he pulled, the ball didn't budge an inch.

Even Gwen looked shocked.

She hadn't even exerted any effort, yet it was as if the ball was glued to her hand.

The bully, realizing that Gwen, a mere girl, had thoroughly humiliated him in front of everyone, grew furious. His face red with anger, he swung his hand at Gwen in an attempt to slap her.

Peter, watching from behind, panicked and shouted, "Watch out, Gwen...!"

...